Episode 37: Foothold in europe

After the conquest of North Africa the way forward seemed clear. During the Casablanca conference, the Allies agreed that the next step would be a campaign up the Italian Peninsula. The Americans still preferred to avoid the whole Mediterranean theatre and strike straight into Northern Europe but the cross channel invasion was still not ripe. General Eisenhower, now a full general having received his fourth star in February, intended to begin the crawl up the Italian peninsula with an invasion of Sicily in May. Unfortunately, landing craft were perpetually in short supply. Operations in the Pacific soaked up most of the LCIs, LSTs, and LCTs (Landing craft infantry, landing ship infantry, and landing craft tank, respectively). Until sufficient craft could be gathered the invasion would have to be delayed, until July of 1943 as it turned out. In the meantime several preparatory operations were undertaken.